Palm Beach County Tea Party

Marion is one of the board members of the Palm Beach County Tea Party and is the Wellington Chapter Leader. She is our resident expert on healthcare and she speaks on the subject whenever new issues arise.

This time, Marion will talk about how we got to where we are now with the healthcare mess, starting in 1965 with the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid on through to Obamacare and what will happen next with the Republican congress.

We will have a lively discussion and the floor is always open for comments.

Please join us on Wednesday, August 2
at the Wellington Community Center for

Marion Frank

Marion is one of the board members of the Palm Beach County Tea Party and is the Wellington Chapter Leader. She is our resident expert on healthcare and she speaks on the subject whenever new issues arise.

This time, Marion will talk about how we got to where we are now with the healthcare mess, starting in 1965 with the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid on through to Obamacare and what will happen next with the Republican congress.

We will have a lively discussion and the floor is always open for comments.

At an event dubbed “A Community Conversation”, District 18 Congressman Brian Mast gave a legislative update to a welcoming and enthusiastic PBCTP crowd last evening at Abacoa.

Starting with bills he is personally submitting, he described two:

– the “Oath of Exit”, an amendment to be offered on the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which asks veterans who are mustering out to pledge support for their fellow veterans and seek help with their own problems.

– the “Veterans Homestead Act”, like the Homestead Act of the 1800’s, would provide land – 1 acre per year of service, to veterans to provide them entrepreneurial opportunities.

Individual Unemployability

On May 23, the Trump Administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs released the first budget request for Fiscal Year 2018. This budget proposal initially called for terminating Individual Unemployability (IU) benefits to those eligible for Social Security retirement benefits under the rationale that this constitutes a duplication of benefits when in fact, it does not. The Individual Unemployability program supports veterans who cannot find work due to service- connected injuries (injuries sustained while serving our country). Many have been unable to contribute to Social Security as they have been unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to these injuries. This budget proposal would impact nearly every Vietnam-era veteran whose survival depends on the Individual Unemployability program.

Since the May 23rd proposal, veterans organizations have galvanized opposing such cuts. Congressman Mast is in agreement and would not support cuts to veterans in receipt of Individual Unemployability.

– Andrea Plescia

Although you wouldn’t know it from the mainstream media, the House of Representative has accomplished a lot in their first six months. In particular, Brian talked about:

Deregulation – there have been 14 Congressional Review Acts signed by the President, rolling back much of the late-term Obama regulatory state

The REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny), which requires Congressional approval of regulations costing more than $100M

Repeal of much of the Dodd Frank Financial Reform

The 6 month budget that provides $1.5B for the border

Kate’s Law

The sanctuary cities bill

The American Health Care Act, repealing and replacing Obamacare

The VA Accountability and Whistleblower Act that allows wrongdoers to be fired

Unfortunately, only the Congressional Review Acts have become law – the rest are gathering dust in our dysfunctional Senate. In Brian’s view, the agenda today is driven by group-think and the GOP Senators are a disappointment.

There were many questions submitted on index cards from the audience, including:

When will Obamacare be repealed? Brian explained that without 60 votes in the Senate (like the Democrats had in 2009) the replacement possibilities are limited. There is much misinformation – Medicaid is not being “cut” just having its growth slowed. Repeal will be a very large tax cut. Whether the Senate acts or not we will have to wait and see.

Is there going to be a cut to veterans’ benefits in the VA budget – specifically regarding Individual Unemployability (IU)? Brian opposes this provision, which would impact disabled veterans who become eligible for Social Security. (See the sidebar for a further explanation).

When will we see Tax Reform? All of Brian’s Republican colleagues know that 2018 is looming and failure to act on tax reform will be a threat to re-election. He hopes to see something this year.

If Senate doesn’t act on Obamacare Repeal, should we just let it fail and the Democrats take the blame? Brian does not think that is a good result for the people affected by it.

Should our embassy move to Jerusalem? YES – should happen now.

In closing, Brian said he is planning some townhalls during the August recess (assuming the House does not stay in session), one of which will be in Palm Beach County. He asks that all of his supporters show up and bring their friends. A lot of his townhalls in the past few months have been packed with opponents of Brian and the Trump agenda and he could really use our help to show balance.

The next PBCTP meeting will be at Abacoa on July 31 with Chris Gaubatz who will talk about “Understanding the Threat” of radical Islam in the US.

On Tuesday morning, well over 100 Tea Party stalwarts assembled for a breakfast buffet and some interaction with our CD18 Congressman Brian Mast.

With a Q&A format that started with written questions and progressed to passing the microphone around, the Congressman answered questions on a wide variety of topics, in many cases expanding on the questions to provide a nuanced look at the opportunities and challenges of this Congress.

Brian gave us a current status of the pictures on the wall at the VA, as the attention he brought to the issue resulted in a Presidential Order to mount the pictures of Donald Trump and VA Secretary David Shulkin in all VA facilities, then spoke of Congressional term limits as a way to help “drain the swamp”. Term limits would stop the “tenured” nature of committee chair positions, part of that swamp infrastructure.

When asked about interactions with lobbyists, he told us he meets with those pushing all sides of issues every day, but also reaches out to stakeholders for bills, like state Governors and other representatives, and finally sorts through the BS and makes up his own mind. Doing the right thing matters more to Brian than pandering for re-election, something he wished would motivate more of his colleagues. This is part of the reason that he has not joined any “voting caucuses” like the Freedom Caucus or the Tuesday Group – he does not want to commit to voting in lockstep with a Caucus consensus if he doesn’t agree with it.

On the budget, Brian was disappointed that there are not 12 individual appropriations bills in process as had been promised by House leadership, and he wished that the continuing resolution that passed had actually reduced spending. He was able to get $60M in that bill to reimburse the county for protecting the President when he comes to Mar-A-Lago though.

And regarding the VA, he has asked Secretary Shulkin for space within the WPB Veterans Hospital for one of his staff to meet with Veterans regarding problems with care delivery. If Congressman were on-site to observe what transpires at VA facilities and raise the alarm when warranted, problems with the VA could be quickly improved. Since no space is yet forthcoming, Brian is asking his constituents, particularly the veterans, to contact the local VA Administrator and ask them to provide the space.

Please join us on Wednesday, June 7
at the Wellington Community Center for

Marion Frank

Our Wellington Chapter Leader and sometimes keynote speaker will address the group again to speak about what is going on with the healthcare situation in Washington DC. The news changes on a minute to minute basis and it is very hard to keep up. Marion will guide you into understanding what is going on and what should be going on. Marion is a practice manager for a small medical practice in Palm Beach County for the last 20 years. She deals with doctors, nurses, patients, insurance companies and the government. She has a unique perspective and understanding of how healthcare works and how it is failing.

At this meeting, we are also going to allow every Tea Party member in attendance to speak their mind on whatever topic they wish. Sometimes it is hard to sit at these meetings and keep your mouths shut. Well, not at this meeting! You will get to speak, if you wish!

Alfred Zucaro has resided in Palm Beach County since 1982 and has been a resident of Boca Raton since 2008. A graduate of Fordham University, he holds a Magna Cum Laude degree in Economics. Mr. Zucaro attended Nova University receiving a Juris Doctorate Law Degree in 1986. He is a member in good standing with the Florida Bar, practicing in the area of Immigration Law for the majority of his career. Currently he is manager/member of Palm Beach Investment and Finance LLC, a USCIS approved regional center identifying foreign investment leading to permanent resident status. Mr. Zucaro served as a City Commissioner in West Palm Beach from 1995 to 2002 and as the President of the City Commission in 2000/2001. He has also been a member of and/or served on the Economic Council, the Business Development Board, the Film and Television Commission, the Tourist Development Council, the Workforce Alliance and the Palm Beach International Film Festival. Of particular interest is his founding of the World Trade Center Palm Beach, an organization that focuses on international economic development. Married to Yvonne Boice, they are avid world travelers having visited 6 continents and dozens of countries since their 2008 nuptials.

From the western suburbs of Chicago, Allan Ward lived in Marin County, CA for 27 years before moving to Boca Raton in 2010 after retirement from the USPS. Degrees in English and history from DePauw and Northwestern give him broad perspectives for his Constitutional concerns. Having organized a union and fought government mismanagement as a union steward and newspaper editor, he also led hikes, wine-tasting trips, and literature-lovers’ evenings, and served as Treasurer on his condominium board in CA. Now in FL he enjoys other activities that fill his life: house remodeling, ballroom dancing, Masonry, target shooting, synagogue, Tea Party, bicycling, and pickleball.

For over a quarter century, FreedomWorks has identified, educated, and actuated citizens who are enthused about showing up to support free enterprise and constitutionally limited government.

They are not primarily a “think-tank,” content to study the issues and publish papers and reports. FreedomWorks breaks down the barriers between the beltway insiders and grassroots America.

FreedomWorks members know that government goes to those who show up. That’s why they give them the tools to break through the media noise and provide the same access to Washington as the big-moneyed lobbyists.

Preserving liberty depends on all Americans having access to their elected officials—not just special interests. FreedomWorks holds Washington accountable to the citizens that put them in office.

FreedomWorks was originally founded as Citizens for a Sound Economy in 1984. Founded to fight for liberty, they brought together some of the best and brightest minds of the liberty movement. Since then, they’ve expanded their ambitions from a free-market think tank to a service center for the grassroots freedom movement across the whole country.

Allen is the Southeast Director for FreedomWorks. He has been With FreedomWorks for 16 years. Allen works closely with the conservative and liberty minded groups in the southeast. Before joining FreedomWorks, Allen worked in grassroot campaigns for former Rep. Coble, former Senator John East, former Senator Jesse Helms, former Senator Duncan Faircloth and former senator Steve Symms.

Education: B.A,. Elon College

Kathy Hartkopf is a grassroots coordinator for FreedomWorks. She works directly with FreedomWorks activists, educating and empowering them to stand together for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom. Kathy joined FreedomWorks (then Citizens for a Sound Economy), as a grassroots activist in 2000, when CSE formed in her county to help citizens fight an egregious bond referendum.

Education: A.A., Peace College; Graduated Fellow of the Institute of Political Leadership, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and East Carolina University.